DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A FIRM FAITH

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A FIRM FAITH

"Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved." (Philippians 4:1)

It is interesting that the Apostle referred two times to the Believer's at Philippi as His "beloved." It shows the kind of connection and love-bond that he had with these believers.

You can understand why, when you read the account of the beginnings of this church in Acts 16. The church was started with a lady named Lydia who was attending a prayer meeting down by the riverside (vs. 12). Paul attended her prayer meeting and shared the Gospel. She and her household were baptized, and Paul and his group stayed in her home. In an interesting development, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison because they were preaching the Gospel. After a great earthquake, the keeper of the jail was converted and he and his house were baptized. So Paul had special feelings for these saints at Philippi. They were his joy and his crown.

But now, he encourages them to stand fast in the Lord – secure in their faith and in their Christian walk. He urged them to have unity of mind in the Lord, to rejoice in the Lord, to be gentle or gracious, not only in the church but with all people. He wanted them to have a consistent prayer life, and counseled them to keep their minds focused on things that were just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Finally, he told them to observe the things that he had he instructed them to do.

These things lead to a firm faith. Some enemies of the Gospel wanted to detour them from these things, but Paul knew that these things would keep them on the right path.

So it is with us. Having accepted Christ as our Savior, there are voices that would lure us down a different path. But a firm faith comes from staying true to God's word and living God's way.

Love, Dad